AN ACTRESS PREPARES

About the Show

Siti Khalijah Zainal is a familiar face on the Singapore stage. She’s played a diverse range of roles, including a schizophrenic young woman, an Indonesian domestic worker and Singapore’s first female Malay Prime Minister (not President!). But what challenges has she faced in her career?

Inspired by Konstantin Stanislavski’s first handbook on acting, An Actress Prepares follows Siti on a journey through her life in theatre. She candidly shares various affecting and hilarious episodes: learning Chinese dance in primary school, falling in with the cool girls at the Bedok Institute of Technical Education, and being told that she might be ‘too big’ or ‘too Malay’ to get roles.

This is Siti as you’ve never seen her before – raw, vulnerable and achingly honest. In An Actress Prepares, Siti tackles the most difficult thing she has ever had to do as an actor: playing herself on stage.

An Actress Prepares was commissioned for a one-day performance by the Singapore Writers Festival in 2016.

IMDA Rating: Advisory (Some Mature Content)

Creative Team & Cast

CREATIVE TEAM

CAST

Siti Khalijah Bte Zainal

Gallery

Reviews

“Alfian Sa'at's breezy script is well-paced and sharply perceptive, delving into the actress' history and family background, and peppering the show with delightful anecdotes of her growing up, going for auditions and becoming part of the Singapore theatre community.”

“An Actress Prepares is as much a show about Siti as it is a love letter to local theatre...It’s a play that inspires hope through personal strength and transformation, and one that leaves us reeling...”

“Sa’at’s script is full of poignancy and insights, especially in the segment which had Khalijah showcase an alternate timeline, where she didn’t take a chance on becoming an actress, and instead got an office job, got married, and became a mother – and regretted never going with her passion and talent.”

About W!LD RICE

Founded in 2000 by our Founding Artistic Director, Ivan Heng, W!LD RICE is one of Singapore’s leading professional theatre companies. Our mission is to provide a forum for the shared experience of theatre; celebrating our diversity, reflecting on the problems and possibilities of our times, and presenting productions that inspire, challenge and entertain. W!LD RICE is a not-for-profit Singapore Registered Charity, (Institution of a Public Character No. 000122). It is a recipient of the National Arts Council's Major Grant.